Costa Rican authorities received the first flight of deportees from the United States yesterday, Saturday. The flight carried 25 individuals from countries such as Albania, Cameroon, China, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, and Morocco, along with one Costa Rican citizen, as part of a cooperative migration agreement between the two nations. The General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs explained that upon entering the country, the migrants received primary assistance from the Professional Migration Police and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which provides them with lodging, food, and humanitarian aid during their first seven days in the country, counted from their entry. Costa Rica had to waive the visa requirement for citizens of Albania, Cameroon, China, India, Kenya, and Morocco. Additionally, in the specific case of Honduras, the requirement for police clearance was waived, as part of the cooperative migration agreement with the United States. According to the agency, migrants will have the option to access assisted voluntary return, apply for asylum, or apply for a temporary regularization program for humanitarian reasons. The migration agreement between Costa Rica and the United States On March 23, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States for the transfer of foreign individuals who are not U.S. citizens. According to the Costa Rican government, the agreement guarantees respect for human rights, including protection against return to countries where individuals may face danger or persecution. Costa Rica stated that the country can accept or reject each case independently, while the U.S. will manage the necessary financial support. The Central American country received two flights of deportees from the U.S. in 2025 and has carried out voluntary repatriations of families to their country of origin. In the first flight received on February 20 of last year, 135 migrants from Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Ghana, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam arrived, while on February 28 of that year, 65 people from Nepal, China, Russia, India, and Congo arrived, including 16 minors. Since Donald Trump's arrival to the U.S. presidency, immigration policies have hardened, which includes deportations and raids in the streets of that country.
